Dust guard for journal boxes



JM). 28, 19.47. ARMSTRONG 2,414,921

, DUST GUARD FOR JOURNAL BOXES i Filed March :51, 1945 l Patented Jan. 28, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUST GUARD F OR JOURNAL BOXES Ernest Armstrong, Camden, N. J.

Application March 31, 1945, Serial No. 585,882 (o1. 286-6) 4 Claims.` 1

This invention relates to a dust guard for the journal boxes of railroad cars and has as one object to provide a dust guard which may be tted into a guard pocket of a journal box in the usual manner and is of such construction that when the guardis subjected to strains it will not be broken.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dust guard which is formed of a plurality of sections held together by wire in such manner that when the guard is in place within a dust guard pocket, its sections may have yielding movement relative to each other and remain in close tting engagement with each other about the spindle of an axle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dust guard having its upper portion provided with brass inserts which rest against the spindle or journal of an axle and reduce to aminimum the wear caused by contact of the dust guard with the journal of an axle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dust guard which will be kept well lubricated by oil from Waste in the journal box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dust guard which is simple in construction, eilicient in operation, and capable of being manufactured at low cost.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a sectional view showing the improved dust guard in use.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the improved dust guard principally in elevation and partially in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portionV of the improved dust guard.

This improved dust guard is used in connection with a journal box I of conventional formation and ts within the dust guard pocket 2 at the inner end of the journal box. This is illustrated in Fig. l., and, referring to this figure, it will be seen that the guard lits snugly about the axle 3 adjacent to the spindle or journal 4 which enters the journal box and makes contact with the usual bearing block or brass 5.

The dust guard, which is of conventional shape and dimensions, is formed of wood and consists of a plurality of sections which will be referred to as an upper section B, a lower section 1, and intermediate sections 8, it being understood that, while two intermediate sections have been shown, this number may be varied if desired. The intermediateV sections and the upper and lower sections are formed with alined vertically extending openings through which portions of a wire binder lo pass, and, referring to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be seen that the intermediate portion of this Wire extends along the curved lower edge face of section 1 while its arms pass upwardly through the openings 9 and are then brought toward each other along the upper edge face of section 6 and are connected with each other, as shown at II, midway the width of the upper end of the guard. Since the sections of the guard are connected with each other by a wire strand, they will be firmly held together about the axle 3 and cracking and breaking, which occurs in a guard of one-piece formation, cannot occur. Ends of the upper and lower sections 6 and 1 are formed with grooves I2 and I3 which are U-shaped in cross section and receive the transversely curved ends I4 of the intermediate sections 8. Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 4, it will be seen that the upper intermediate section has its lower end formed with a groove I5 receiving the transversely curved upper end IS of the lower intermediate section. Therefore, the sections 6, 1 and 8 may have yielding movement relative to each other when subjected to strains, but will normally be held in close contacting engagement with each other and in a common plane. The axle-receiving opening of the dust guard is of such diameter that it snugly receives the axle and the upper section has the arcuate intermediate portion of its lower edge face formed with recesses in which are disposed small blocks or strips I1 formed of brass and constituting wear strips spaced from each other longitudinally of the upper section and bearing against the upper portion of the axle 3, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The wear strips prevent excessive wear upon the upper portion of the dust guard and, since they are formed of brass and well lubricated, they will not wear the axle and form a groove in it.

As previously stated, any number of intermedi-v ate sections 8 may be provided and, if a single intermediate section is provided at each side of the guard, its ends will both be rounded for engagement in grooves of the upper and vlower sections.

What is claimed is:

l. A dust guard for a journal box having a body formed with an opening of a diameter adapting it to snugly receive an axle and comprising upper and lower sections and side sections disposed one above another and formed with alined openings extending vertically through side portions of the guard, contacting edge faces of the sections being formed one with a groove substantially U-shaped in cross section and the other with a transversely rounded surface and tting snugly in the groove, a binding wire extending along the lower edge face of the lower section and having portions passing upwardly through the alined openings and brought toward each other along the upper edge face of the upper section and secured to eachother, and wear resisting strips seated in recesses formed in the lower edge face of the upper section for engaging the upper portion of an axle about which the dust guard ts.

2. A dust guard for a journal box having a body formed with an opening of a diameter adapting it to snugly receive an axle and cornprising upper and lower sections and side sections disposed one above another and formed with alined openings extending vertically through side portions of the guard, contacting edge faces of the sections having intertting engagement with each other permitting tilting movement of the sections relative to each other longitudinally of an axle about which the guard is tted, and a binding wire extending along edge faces of the upper and lower sections and through the alined openings and having its ends connected with each other.

3. A dust guard for a journal box having a body formed with an opening of a diameter adapting it to snugly receive an axleand comprising upper and lower sections for bearing against upper and lower portions of an axle and intermediate sections for bearing against side portions of an axle, the intermediate sections and end portions of the upper and lower sections being formed with alined openings, and a binding wire extending along the lower section and upwardly through the alined openings with its end port-ions extending towards each other along the upper section and connected with each other.

4. A dust guard for a journal box having a body formed with an opening of a diameter adapting it to snugly receive an axle and comprising upper and lower sections for bearing against upper and lower portions of an axle and side sections between the upper and lower sections for bearing against side portions of an axle, and a binder passing through openings formed in said sections and holding the sections in engagement with each other while permitting tilting movement of the sections relative to each other longitudinally of an axle about which the guard is fitted.

ERNEST ARMSTRONG. 

